Question about pet adoptions? -moved-

This has been bugging me ever since we got our baby Max. I was out shopping with my girls and we went to a local brand petstore. They have animals for adoption on the weekends from a local adoption agency. they had 4 lab mix puppies. We had been talking about getting another dog because our Lady was put to sleep this summer due to severe seizures that she finally came out of...Anyways, (sigh), My girls fell in love with the puppies. My husband and I agreed now was the time to get a new puppy. We always try and get our animals from the local humaine society, shelters etc. We "applied" one of the puppies. I told the kids it takes a couple of days for the application to be checked. Well, to my surprise, they declined our application. We have a 13 year old Lab/Shep mix that must live outside most of the time because he has bowel incontinence. They said they will not adopt to people that allow the animals to live outside. I marked on the application that the puppy would live both in/out. My reasoning was, I am a nurse and work 12 hour shifs. When my husband is working he doesn't usually get home until 7 as well. I don't think it is fair to have an animal in a crate that long. He will be outside in a big cage, with a doghouse. I felt that was nicer than being in a cage. I also failed on the no fence in my yard, even though I marked we live on 5 acres.. I guess my point for this post is to say how sad I am right now. I was at Petsmart with the girls and Max yesterday to get new toys for Max, and the 2 crazy cats Max chases all day. The poor puppy we tried to adopt over 2 months ago is still at the shelter. They refused to allow us to adopt and they still have a puppy living in a shelter. It breaks my heart. I just think that maybe some of the agencies should not be so tough on criteria. I may have an animal living outside, however, my animals are so loved and spoiled and well taken care of... I guess I just needed to vent my frustrations with all the animals available for adoption, maybe they should adopt them out to people that want them... I realize they have to be careful, there are some people that don't really want to love the animals...I was there with my family...Thanks for listening..

I'm so sorry that happened to you. I agree, some of the qualifications to "rescue" an animal are unfair. I understand their reasoning, they're worried about the extremes, but there seems to be very little ability to take each situation individually. Maybe they don't have the manpower, I don't know. I hope you find the puppy that you're meant to have and that other little guy gets out of the shelter soon!

We did find our perfect pet. Lab mix, lovely puppy. He loves the kids, and is very attached to me..follows me everywhere. He just doesn't like the cats. I just feel bad for the animals that someone wants but aren't allowed to adopt. I just hope if anyone on the TP site works with the adoption agencies they will take my story into consideration....there are too many pets that need homes.

I can see why they are picky about who the animals go to since they don't want them to be in a worse situation than they came from. But a letter of recommendation from the adoptive family's vet should cover that. Especially if that poor puppy is still waiting. The ones that charge huge fees drive me crazy too. I have been looking for a rescued shih-tzu young adult for a friend and one that I found last week required a $450 fee and a home inspection. I can see that they need to cover shelter costs but for that much money my friend could just buy a puppy. Where is the incentive to help a homeless pet if they make it so hard and so costly? But on the flip side there was a woman that posted her story here recently who adopted out a dog that she had rescued only to find him for sale on CL a month later. She thought she had found him a perfect home. So then she had to demand his safe return. There are some bad people out there adopting. I guess they need to be careful for the animal's sake.

I would turn down anyone who left there dogs outside-that doesn't even need qualified as to why they are outside-they are.

I am a nurse to who still manages to take care for my 5 and fosters so that whole I work twelve hours doesn't cut it.

No reputable rescue will adopt to someone who keeps a dog outside unaccompanied for any reason. Not only could someone take/hurt your dog the list of what could happen is endless and working rescue I have heard it all and all the reasons a dog "must" be outside. Yet those are the same dogs we get into rescue who live inside just fine.

the fence is often times just a qualifier that if you pass everything else they are ok with it-if you don't its another reason you can't.

And don't feel bad for the pups-they are fine and will end up in a great home eventually. We took our last foster litter to petsmart and other adoption days many times before they were adopted and they were in no way suffering.

the goal is not to rehome as quickly as possible but to find the best home even if it takes a while.

Look into bringing your dogs inside and then work on getting another dog.

If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that certain dogs I have known will go to heaven, and very, very few persons -James Thurber

Joce...thank you for your reply....Can I ask what do you do with your 5 pets when they are inside when you work 12 hours? As stated in my previous post...My 13 year old dog has incontinence of bowel and bladder. Since you are a nurse I am sure you know what that means...would it be better for my 2 children to allow him to go whenever he wants to in the house. I chose to let him LIVE outside. He is happy and very well taken care of. I just think it is a shame that the world has so many pets that need homes and an adoption organization can pass judgement on an adoptive family based on a piece of paper with 12 questions on it. I was actually expecting to receive a response like yours. My goal with posting this is only to open the eyes to those that have pets for adoption. I know these companies have to be careful not to adopt to someone that will not care for the pets. My OPINION on this subject is maybe there needs to be a better process for the adoptions of pets. I am a nurse as well as you....I work 12 hour shifts and so does my husband. With travel time we are usually gone closer to 13 1/2 hours..I am very sorry you "don't buy" the whole 12 hour work thing. I just think it is cruel to leave an animal in a crate for 13 1/2 hours. I know I have to use the bathroom before then. Do You? I choose to allow my animals the luxery of having an area to run and play and be a dog while I am working, and have a warm bed to sleep in at night. Thanks for your reply. Good luck with adopting out the rest of your pets. I hope they find a home as loving as mine...oh yeah...I already have a new puppy. The day after we were declined from the adoption agency. He is thriving...

Maxpup, since you have 5 acres, I doubt anyone is going to even see the dogs, let alone harm them, since you obviously live in a rural area. There is no reason not to keep a dog outside, with the health problems your old dog has, in fact I bet he loves it out side. I think it's a different matter altogether if you live in the city, on a postage stamped size lot, where people can easily get at your dogs.I'm glad you got your puppy.

Thanks pen2..we did not have the heart to try and get rid of Buddy just because he had bathroom troubles. We have had him for 13 years..we love him way too much to let him go. So, yes we did put him outside...He loooovvveeess to run and play. In fact, Max the puppy would rather be outside with Buddy all day. We have to make Max come inside at times. I can't wait until summer so on my days off Max and Buddy can run and play all day...The only thing we see out here are deer...

Being in rescue I have become one paranoid mama when it comes to even letting my girl outside. We hear/see many horror stories (even in rural areas) that happen to outside dogs anything from eating rat posion, being shot/hit by a car, fighting wounds, and even stolen. I personally wouldn't leave a dog outside (with or without a fence) unless I was there to supervise; no matter the breed or the area, simply to many fluke incidents/sickos out there.

On days that Lu can't go to work with me she goes to a local doggy day care (great for socialization) or sometimes a family friend will come over to let her out... maybe this would work for your newest edition to the family? You have been VERY Lucky for your dog to go 13 yrs outside and as long as you feel absolutely confident in his safety I guess it would be hard to be convinced otherwise. Lu is the equivalent to a child for me so now that I am aware I refuse to put her into a situation which could potentially cause her harm. I know I won't be able to protect her from everything but anything I can protect her from you can be sure I will =) Maybe the rescues are just trying to do the same?

I think it may have a little bit to do with where you live. Every farmer around here for miles, has their dog running loose. People in town, of course, mostly don't, but there are even a few of them, but since it's in small towns where every body knows everyone else, it does'nt seem to be a huge deal. I personally have my whole yard fenced, but I breed dogs, so have more than 1 or 2. Doggy day-care does'nt exist here, and if I really need to board my dogs, my only real option is the vet clinic, which is'nt always a good idea, even though they love to have them. There have been times, if I know I'm going on a trip, for more than an hour, when I take some dogs with me, and take the rest to my son, who has an even bigger yard, totally fenced. I don't worry about psycho's, if I did, I would'nt be able to leave the house, ever. Anyone that wanted to could still throw poison into my yard, and the dogs would get it, even if they were enclosed in my house, because as soon as I get home, I let them out. I'm not saying don't worry about it at all, I just think it may be slightly different in a small rural area.

Pen I live in a very rural area with dogs running all over the place. that doesn't make it safer than a city with them running all over the place-I guess I'm failing to see why it would. I live next to one house,a corn field and behind me is miles and miles of nothing but fields woods and riding trails.

Dogs get killed out here all the time. First are the cars and farm equipment that run them over or with some of the farm stuff shred them apart pull off the skin on tails,shred ears-it really goes on and on. I've seen most of it out here.

There was a dog flu that went around here a couple years ago that killed many dogs because they all wander around and even those who don't wander but are fenced in caught it cuz all it took was another dog going up to the fence.

Not to mention all the crazy people we still have in the country. let someone get it in their head you dog could possibly kill a chicken or sheep and your dog will disappear. Your dog somehow slips the fence and your gone for another eleven hours- if it ends up in a pen of animals the farmer has every right to shoot it and many will,they have to protect their livelihood.

I used to not be so anal about it because it is the country but we had my husky chained out one day-behind the house,you could probably only see her very distantly turning the corner a mile down,and someone came back and took her during twenty minutes I was downstairs doing laundry- You know what showed up soon after in my mailbox? One of those dogs deserve better pamphlets. I only got her back because we put adds everywhere and the people who ended up with her(denied taking her) luckily had neighbors who were scared to death of her-thought she was to wolf like and would eat their kids. She definately was never a dog on a leash long because she was an escape artist-no fence can hold that dog! So if I couldn't walk her she went out on a chain for a couple minutes to use the bathroom. I know thats so abusive but there are idiots that roam around "the country" looking for dogs left outside and things they can take a dog for.

As far as working twelves all of my dogs except my fifteen yr old beagle hold it just fine. Occasionally my corgi or westie will have an accident but its no big deal since they are alone for a long time every day-I would never leave them outside for that. And the thought of putting my 15 yr old beagle outside because she isn't so house trained anymore(she tries!) makes me sick-she has been the perfect dog for 15 yrs and her peeing all over can be cleaned,she doesn't deserve being stuck outside.

Best thing to do and what I tell people who work longer hours(because we do adopt to people who work full time unlike some rescues) is have a place in the house were it is fairly easy to clean up if there is an accident. We only have carpet in some of the bedrooms and the den. So I could leave the dogs in any part of the house other than that and its easily cleaned.They usually try to go in the same place to so its not like your hunting for it-we used to use pee pads but started putting down old rags instead,its a lot cheaper and works as good after they know to go there. A lot of people with unfinished basements clean those all up and use those for if they are gone longer periods of time. If the dogs incontinent get covers for the furniture if you have some in every room. You obviously have to come home and spend a whopping ten minutes with some paper towels a sponge and some cleaner but its worth it.

For puppies a big cage usually works just fine. Cages are not cruel.

People seem to fail to realize most dogs sleep when no one is home. If I work nights and come home to sleep when everyone else goes to work the dogs lay in the same spot all day-the crappy part of the wood floors here is you can hear everything all through the house- so its not cruel or evil to keep them in one area.

If you don't use a crate fine-but then use part of your home not outside. No buts or ifs will ever convince me it is safe. there are people who have animals outside and it turns out ok (every dog we had when I was little roamed the whole area but the chances of that happening with them dying of old age now is pretty slim)and there are those who don't-so to say rescue is unfair in any way for not adopting to people with outside dogs is a stretch.

If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that certain dogs I have known will go to heaven, and very, very few persons -James Thurber

<< I hope they find a home as loving as mine...oh yeah...I already have a new puppy. The day after we were declined from the adoption agency. He is thriving... >>

And it is sarcastic comments such as this one that tell a bigger tale. The whole "well, since you won't give me what I want so I will just go get from someone else" story line is old and tired.

I am quite glad you posted your story. I really am. Though for the opposite reason I believe you intended. It just strengthened my resolve over finding the correct placements both for my puppies and my rescues. As someone else posted; Rescue is not going for the fastested placement, just the best placement.

I had a 12-1/2 year old Boxer that had Degenerative Myelopthy (sp?) and lost her bowels towards the end. I never ONCE put her outside for my convenience. But then, she had always been my beloved family member from when she was 8 weeks old. So perhaps I feel a bit more protective over her. I prefer it that way.

As to the complaint over 12 hour days. If you honestly feel you spend too much time away from home, why bring home yet another pet?

You raised red flags to the rescue. You can either attempt to understand their concern or you can continue to post indignance over not getting what you wanted. The choice is purely yours.

<< I still am stumped by those who feel if they have '5 acres' this means they do not need a fenced area for their dog. >>

I completely agree. Add to the fact any dog can run off after a rabbit and you may never see them again :(

A good friend of mine lost her 2 Boxers many years ago when a Bobcat came and killed them. Unfenced yard. She vowed to never leave her dogs outside unfenced again. Actually, she doesn't even leave them outside unattended. She made an indoor run in her garage which was quite cozy for when she was away from the house.

I am thinking about getting one of these though-Not cuz I leave my dogs outside but because I think it would be cute as hell to have one and I would go sit in it probably while they looked at me stupid! http://www.jimboshoundhouses.com/

If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that certain dogs I have known will go to heaven, and very, very few persons -James Thurber

Not to mention, I am all for crate training, but I would never let anyone purchase a puppy or dog of mine that told me they were keeping it in a crate that long. That is every bit as cruel as keeping one outside Joce.

Neither situation is ideal. That doesn't mean that anyone on this thread intends harm on their dogs though. Sucks to be judged by people in a different situation than your own.

Joce, most breeders, like myself have a kennel, some bigger than others. Mine are huge because I can't stand them not having room to run and play.How could we possibly keep that many dogs in the house? I'm sorry, I have to disagree with you because there are not dogs dying everywhere here, and many people have the ancient attitude that a dog's place is outside. I certainly don't agree with that, because of our weather, and the fact that I want them in with me, and they want in with me. One thing I will always have though, is a high fence.

pen-I don't believe in kenneling dogs-anyone who would buy pups not raised in the home have not researched their breeder or breeding in general. Why are you be breeding if you don't have the room? And why on such a large scale since it can't be handled without a kennel?

Most breeders are not good breeders. thanks for proving that point again.

edited to add to alicats post I just noticed Also want to stress at no point did I say my dogs are kenneled for 12 hrs.

The time I do suggest a crate is if a person adopts a puppy-why? because puppies chew,puppies get into things and end up needing surgery to get things removed or have to spend some time with the vet after eating a bottle of tylenol. Obviously this isn't the same crate used for crate training since god knows a puppy can't hold it for twelve hours but who would leave a puppy loose-or outside?

Its not an ideal situation-but not everyone can be home all day. Thats the one thing I never use against people. the good ting about 12s is u usually have four days off a week! I am lucky that rarely do I actually have to leave the dogs alone for that long-but it does happen-it happens with everyone occasionally.

So I guess maybe I should re think adopting to people who work full time if everyone seems to think its normal to leave them outside.

And there are people whos schedules don't make them good candidates for a dog-this poster sounds like a cat may be better for her or something she can pad train since fourteen hour days are the rule and not the exception.

***Edited By: joce on 3/17/2008 7:07:10 PM***Reason: g

If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that certain dogs I have known will go to heaven, and very, very few persons -James Thurber

Joce, if you are a breeder, you will know that there are certain times when it is very important to keep a dog away from the rest of the pack, for instance 2 bitches in heat at the same time. At what time did I say my puppies are kept in a kennel? Never. I don't have hundreds of dogs, and most of the time they spend in the house with me, or playing outside. Only if I go away on an extended trip do they do in the runs. You will also know that when dogs are in heat, they tend to fight. Another reason to have seperate quarters. I think your comments about my breeding practice was uncalled for, and breeders in general, since you don't know how many dogs I have nor how much space I have.